Mounting or setting of gems, precious stones, or the like



Ap 2 1941.5 s. H. PRITHARD 2,239,302

MOUNTING 0R SETTING OF GEMS, PRECIOUS STONES, OR THE LIKE Filed Ndv. '22, 1939 Patented Apr. 22; 1941 MOUNTING OR SETTING OF GEMS, PRECIOUS S TONES, QR. THE LIKE Sydney Herbert Pritchard, Shenfield, England,

assignor to Baker & Company, Inc., a corpora tion of New Jersey Application November 22, 1939, Serial No. 305,582 In Great Britain March 9, 1939 4 Claims.

This invention relates to the mounting or setting of gems or the like and more particularly it relates to settings for precious stones such as diamonds or the like, hereinafter referred to as gems, in rings or other articles of jewelry.

The invention relates to an improvement in the well-known type of setting according to which a cage or frame is provided having claws at its periphery, which are bent over the edge of the gem, when the latter has been placed in position therein.

In connection with this type of setting, it is well-known to cut away a part of each claw to provide a seating for the gem.

The chief object of th present invention is to enhance the appeal to the eye and therefore the value, of the article, such as a ring, to which the gem is applied, by providing a setting which will give the gem the appearance of being larger than in fact it is.

A further object of the invention is to provide a secure mounting for the gem.

According to the invention, I provide an annular plate, ring or the like, hereinafter referred to as a plate, which is slotted at a number of positions around its outer periphery to accommodate respectively of one form of plate used according to the invention.

Figures 3 and 4 are plan and elevational views respectively of a common form of cage or frame setting for use according to the invention.

Figure 5 is an elevational view of the plate in position in the cage or frame.

Figures 6 and '7 are plan andelevational views respectively of a ring having a gem mounted according tothe invention.

Figures 8 and 9 are also plan and elevational views respectively of a ring having a gem mounted according to the invention in another manner, and

Figure 10 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view on the line Iii-40 of Figure 6 through the cage or setting showing in detail the manner of mounting the gem.

the,claws of a cage or frame of the well-known kind, said plate thus forming a seating for the gem in the upper part of the cage or frame.

It is unnecessary to adapt th claws to pry vide a seating for the gem since the plate automatically takes up a position on the cage or frame according to the depth of the slots therein, to provide the seating for the gem.

The gem is located in the aperturein the plate and maintained in position by pressing th free ends of the claws projecting through the slots over the edge of the gem in the usual manner.

According to the invention furthermore, the portion of the plate which is visible after the gem has been placed and secured. in position is treated in such manner as to diffuse light and to harmonise with the form or cut of the gem set therein so as to give the gem the appearance of being larger than it actually is. Preferably, the visible portion of the plate is provided with facets, in such manner that they harmonise with the facets of the gem to produce the desired effect.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, the

same will now be more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which Figures 1 and 2 are plan and elevational views As shown in Figure 1, an annular plate a is provided with radial slots b around its outer periphery to accommodate the claws or prongs c of a cage or frame mounting d, which preferably converge toward the bottom of the mounting or cage. A common form of cage or frame mounting is illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 although it will be understood that any other convenient form of cage or frame mounting, e. g. that shown in Figures 8 and 9'may be utilized according to the invention. The plate a forms a seating for a.

gem e in the upper part of the cage or frame d, with the pavilion of the gem extending through the opening of the plate and with the girdle of the gem spaced above the top of the plate. The gem is maintained in position on the seating constituted by the plate a by pressing the free ends I of the claws c over the edge of the gem. The circumferential width of the slots b is just suflicient to allow the claws c to pass freely therethrough, while their depth may be selected according to the position it is desired that the plate should take up in the cage. Thus by increasing the depth of the slots the plate will take up a lower position in the cage and vice versa, and it will thus be possible to vary theapparent increase in the size of the gem, since when the plate is lower in the cage, a larger part of the surface of the plate will be visible and available for the 7 treatment hereinafter described.

When the gem is set. the plate a encircles or encompasses the pavilion of the gem intermediate its length and the parts of the plate 'a which are visible after the gem has been mounted are treated in such manner as to diffuse and reflect light and to harmonise with the form or cut of the gem set therein so as to incre se the apparent .size of the gem. Preferably, the visible parts of the plate are provided with facets as at q in such manner that they harmonise with the facets e on the gem e, to produce the desired effect. The facets are preferably highly polished.

Any other method may be adopted however which will give the impression that the parts of r the plate which are visible after the gem has been mounted form part of the gem. The seating is preferably made of a white metal such 'as platinum, which is capable of being treated to harmonize with the gem, particularly when this is a diamond.

The invention is applicable to the mounting of gems in various kinds of rings, tie-pins, or other articles of jewelry and in any other connection in which it is desired to display the gem.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A setting for a faceted gem having a girdle and a pavilion, comprising a cage, a centrally apertured plate within said cage to encompass the pavilion of the gem intermediate the length thereof and having an upwardly reflecting surface to extend outwardly beyond and beneath and in closely spaced relation to the girdle 0f the gem, and a plurality of upwardly projecting prongs at least some of which serve to firmly and securely hold the gem.

2. A setting for a. faceted gem having a girdle and a pavilion, comprising a cage, a centrally apertured plate within said cage to serve as a seat for loosely holding the gem at its pavilion intermediate the length thereof in close proximity to the girdle of the gem and having an upwardly reflecting surface to extend outwardly beyond and beneath and in closely spaced relation to the girdle of the gem, and a plurality of upwardly projecting prongs at least some of which serve to firmly and securely hold the gem in said seat.

3. The setting described in claim 1, wherein said prongs are integral with the cage and converge toward the bottom of the cage, and said plate has a plurality of peripheral notches each to receive one of said prongs, whereby the position of said plate in said cage can be varied by varying the depth of said notches.

4. A setting for a faceted gem having a girdle and a pavilion, comprising a. cage having upwardly projecting prongs at least some of which serve to hold the gem and have free'upper ends disposed in approximately a common plane, a centrally apertured plate within said cage with its general plane below said common plane of the upper ends of said prongs to serve as a seat for loosely holding the gem at its pavilion intermediate the length thereof in close proximity to the girdle of the gem and having an upwardly refleeting surface to extend outwardly beyond and beneath and in closely spaced relation to the girdle of the gem, whereby to create an illusion I that said gem is larger than actually it is.

SYDNEY HERBERT PRITCHARD.

DISCLAlMER 2,239,302.-Sydney Herbert Pn'tckard, Shenfield, England. MOUNTING 0R SETTING OF GEMs, PRECIOUS STONES, OR THE LIKE. Patent. dated April 2 2, 1941. Disclaimer filed November 30, 1943, by the assignee, Baker cf: 00., Inc.

Hereby disclaims claims-1 and 4 in said specification.

[Oflicial Gazette December 21, 1943.] 

